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More Answers to Your Questions
Question Foot-and-mouth disease, abbreviated FMD, is a foreign animal disease. It affects cloven-hoofed animals such as pigs, cows and sheep. Dogs, cats and people cannot catch FMD from infected farm animals. Pets and people can, however, spread the disease from one farm to another when travelling in infected areas. FMD is not present in the United States and there have been no cases of the disease in the US since 1929.
Question Dogs prefer a diet that includes meat. Cats, in particular, need meat, which provides certain amino acids which are not available from the vegetables in their diet or they can become very sick. Just like people, dogs and cats need protein in their diets and the meat ingredients in pet food are an excellent source of that protein, as well as vitamins, minerals and energy.
Question Just like people, pets grow at various rates based on breed, diet, exercise and a number of other factors. Follow the feeding instructions on your puppy and kitten food to determine when to switch to an adult formula. Some products are designed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats at all life stages so no change in food is necessary. Make sure you read the feeding instructions carefully so you do not feed too much or too little food. If you have questions, consult with your veterinarian.
Question If you are feeding a "complete and balanced" pet food, supplementation should not be needed and could even be dangerous. Pet food is formulated to provide all the nutrients a healthy pet needs. Pets should only be given supplements or medicine of any kind after a consultation with your veterinarian. Some supplements may even contain ingredients that could make your pet sick and using human drugs to treat animals can cause more harm than good. Pet owners should not give their animals vitamin supplements or home remedies designed for people.
Question The US Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation as a safe and effective means of processing dog and cat food products and treats. The process is an effective and safe alternative to cooking foods and will not harm your pet.
Question Cheese is a nutritious ingredient for pets, as it is for people and is used in a variety of pet foods and treats. Cheese provides excellent quality protein, calcium, Vitamin A, and essential fatty acids. B-complex vitamins are contained in some cheeses. Pets also like the taste of cheese and it can be a part of a complete and balanced pet food diet. However, pets should not be fed cheese from table scraps, which could contain too much fat and salt.
Question Some pet food companies make a raw food diet for dogs and cats. Raw foods, just like all pet foods, should be complete and balanced and meet the standards of nutrition set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). If you are thinking about feeding your pet a raw diet make sure the product is complete and balanced, change the type of pet food gradually and be sure to following the product's safe handling instructions. Remember, it is not advisable to experiment with making your own raw diets since the nutritional needs of dogs and cats are very different from people and possible deficiencies in homemade diets may not be immediately visible.
Question According to the Pet Food Institute, in 2003 there were over 76 million pet cats and almost 61 million pet dogs in the US.
Question Yes, onions can be toxic to dogs and cats. In dogs, onions can cause a fatal anemia and it does not matter if the onions are raw or cooked. A small amount of onion can harm a small dog - the larger the dog the larger the amount it takes to make a dog sick. Cats too can get very sick and even die from consuming onions. For that reason, pet owners should be careful that their animals don't eat onions.
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